Tag: mother’s day

Happy Mother’s Day! Today, in celebration of all mothers who impacted our lives, we’re sharing another story from our series: 15 stories for the 15th Anniversary!

WINGS’ mobile clinics travel to remote areas of Guatemala, where access to health services is extremely limited. During the clinics, we provide contraceptive methods, cervical cancer screenings and cryotherapy treatment. In many Guatemalan communities, family planning or anything related to reproductive health is still much stigmatized, so it takes courage for women from these villages to go to our clinics. We have met strong women who have overcome many struggles, as is the case with Ana Maria.

25-year-old Ana Maria was born in Nicaragua. Both her parents died when she was a child, and without family or opportunities, she came to Guatemala, told by a prospective employer he would provide her steady work and a place to live. At just 14, Ana Maria was sold into the sex slave industry, and obligated to pay off her travel and housing debts. After 3 months living a nightmare, Ana Maria managed to escape with the help of a friend, now her husband.

A few years later, Ana Maria went to a WINGS talk about family planning and cervical cancer. The risk factors for cervical cancer really concerned her, considering her past. Ana Maria wanted to undergo a screening, but worried about the cost; her husband works on a banana plantation and some months they barely have enough money to feed their 3 children. WINGS nurse Alejandra heard Ana Maria’s concerns, and offered to waive the fee for the screening. Unfortunately, Ana Maria’s screening results came out positive for pre-cancerous cells. WINGS’ staff provided Ana Maria with immediate cryotherapy treatment that day, to prevent precancerous lesions progressing to cervical cancer. With tears running down her face, Ana Maria said:“I could never afford this treatment. Sometimes we don’t even have enough to eat. I thank God that there are organizations providing services to the poorest people.”

Ana Maria’s three children and her husband were also very grateful to WINGS. The children are still very young, and with their father busy working at the plantation during the day, Ana Maria is their main caretaker. Thanks to the cervical cancer screening and treatment, Ana Maria got the opportunity to be with her three children and see them grow up.

Women listening to WINGS’ talk about cervical cancer

Ana Maria was very lucky. WINGS provided her with cervical cancer screening and cryotherapy treatment in time and she avoided developing cervical cancer. But what happens to all the women living in remote, rural area of Guatemala where access to health services is almost nonexistent? In many cases, these women have never attended a talk about cervical cancer and they don’t even realize they may be at risk. As a result, they do not get screened and there is a higher chance for cervical cancer to develop. If caught early, cervical cancer is highly preventable and treatable. It should not be the number one cause of cancer-related deaths in Guatemalan women.

This is where we are asking you to step in. We are aiming to screen almost 4,000 women for cervical cancer this year and you can help us make this happen. Join our Mother’s Day campaign today and make a donation to WINGS in the name of the mother you wish to honor. We will send you a beautiful personalized card for her, explaining the impact her Mother’s Day gift is making. Help us save lives!

When we think of adolescence, we tend to associate it with a period of discovery and change: growing closer to certain friends, becoming interested in different hobbies, hitting puberty, and transitioning from childhood to adulthood. In Guatemala however, the reality for many teenage girls is sadly very different. Due to lack of sexual education, sociocultural norms, and limited access to birth control, 22% of girls in Guatemala give birth before the age of 18, forcing them into adulthood too quickly. Guatemala has one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Latin America and the Caribbean and is the only country in Central America where teenage pregnancy is actually on the rise.

Through its Youth Program, WINGS seeks to prevent teenage pregnancies in Guatemala and enable girls and boys to decide about their health and futures. Our program combines youth led sexual education with free sexual and reproductive health services in remote communities.

In a recent mobile clinic in San Francisco Zapotitlán, on the country’s Pacific coast, we met 21-year-old Fabiola.

Born in San Francisco Zapotitlán, Fabiola is one of seven siblings. Her mother sold vegetables and fruit in the local market to provide for her children. While her mother was working, Fabiola was in charge of the house, taking care of her younger brothers and sisters, despite being a child herself. As in many Guatemalan families, nobody ever told Fabiola about birth control. When she was 18, Fabiola had her first child. She struggled because on top of looking out for her younger siblings, she now had her own baby to take care of. At 19, Fabiola had her second child. Today, Fabiola is 21 years old and has three children. Raising her three children has not been easy: “Being a mother is a beautiful thing, but sometimes I feel like I can barely manage. I can’t afford to provide my children with everything I’d like to give them, and when they get sick, I can’t sleep because I’m worried about their well-being”.

Days before the mobile clinic, our Field Supervisor Mylin visited women in San Francisco Zapotitlán to talk about their family planning options and encourage them to attend our mobile clinic. Although Fabiola showed up, she was very scared about using birth control. In San Francisco as in many Guatemalan communities, birth control is highly stigmatized. While she was afraid that her community would judge her, Fabiola knew that she could not afford to have more children. After discussing which contraceptive options we could offer her, Fabiola chose the subdermal hormonal implant, which provides up to 5 years of protection. Fabiola said she is grateful to WINGS because now she does not have to worry about becoming pregnant again and she is ready to dedicate all her time to raising her three boys. “WINGS is one of the few organizations that has reached out to women in my community. Many of us do not have enough money to go to a big hospital and pay for expensive services. Once I told the nurses I did not have enough money for the implant, they gave it to me for free!”

Young mothers at WINGS’ clinic

During the mobile clinic, we also met Berta, a 19-year-old girl who carried her 10-month-old baby in her arms. Berta too had never learned about birth control – not even in school where teachers are legally required to provide sexual education. When Berta was 5 years old, her mother passed away. She was raised by her aunts and her father. Her family is very religious, and she was not allowed to ask any questions related to sexuality. She was very surprised when she got pregnant, as was all her family. A friend of her late mother told Berta about the mobile clinic, so Berta came in to get a subdermal hormonal implant. Berta may want to have one other child in the future, but she is happy that she now gets to choose when she is ready for that.

Berta, 19, with her 10-month-old son

When asked whether she was excited about Mother’s Day, Berta’s face lit up and a huge smile spread across her face. “Yes! You know, once my own mother died, I lost all hope of ever being able to say ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ again. But now, for the first time in my life, people will be saying that to me. Even though I didn’t plan to be a mother this early, I love my son and I want to be the best mother in the world for him.”

18-year-old mother Isabela breastfeeds her 1-year-old son Andy at one of WINGS’ mobile clinics

This Mother’s Day, you can support women like Fabiola and Berta by donating to WINGS.Give a meaningful gift to a special mom today and save lives!

In Guatemala, cervical cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related deaths among Guatemalan women. While the disease is preventable and highly treatable if detected early, in countries like Guatemala where healthcare is largely inaccessible, it’s a grim story.

Inadequate health centers, lack of knowledge, and geographic barriers make it difficult for women to get screened for cervical cancer in Guatemala. Ten years ago, WINGS developed its Cervical Cancer Prevention Program to overcome these challenges by providing visual inspection with acetic acid and immediate cryotherapy treatment for pre-cancerous cells. We continue to offer these life-saving services in stationary clinics in Sololá, Cobán and Antigua, and through our mobile clinics, which travel to the most remote areas of the country to reach underserved women. We have provided lifesaving services to improve the lives of thousands of women in Guatemala,even within our own team!

41 year old WINGS’ Nurse Rosy was born in a rural community in San Cristobal, located in northern Guatemala. Rosy travels every month with our mobile team to provide family planning information and contraceptives to the most remote areas of the country.

Like many of the girls and women we serve, Rosy has faced many challenges in her life. When she was only 15 years old, her family forced her to marry a man who turned out to be abusive. Sadly, in Guatemala it is very common for young girls to be married off without their consent. Rosy suffered through her marriage because, similar to many women in her situation, she didn’t have a say in any decisions. Although Rosy was finally able to separate from her husband, the difficulties persisted. As a single mother, Rosy had to figure out how to make ends meet so she could feed her four children and send them to school. Luckily, her former father-in-law was very supportive and encouraged her to go back to school.

Rosy and her family had never received any information about reproductive health and prior to resuming her studies, she knew very little about her own health in general. As a child, she lost her mom and aunt to cervical cancer. Neither had ever been screened and Rosy was terrified that the she would face the same health burden.

However, as an Assistant Nurse providing these important services throughout Northern Guatemala, Rosy decided to undergo a screening with our team. Unfortunately, our staff discovered abnormal cell growth which could lead to cancer, but our team treated Rosy immediately.

As Rosy shared with our team that day, “I am truly grateful to WINGS for supporting me and allowing me to keep being a mother to my children. I now have my nursing diploma and I am so proud to be able to help people who need it. I am thankful for the opportunity to work with WINGS; I love every part of my job. I give educational talks to different communities in my native Mayan language; I provide different birth control methods; and I screen women to help prevent cervical cancer. This work is so important and I hope that I can keep doing it forever.”

Like Rosy’s aunt and mother, there are thousands of women in Guatemala who do not know about the causes of cervical cancer and how to prevent it. WINGS has worked endlessly to change this and provide information and reproductive health services to Guatemalan women in need. In 2015, we surpassed ourcervical cancer screening projection by 141%, ensuring that 3,062 women were able to undergo preventive screenings. And in the first three months of 2016 alone, we have already provided 496 cervical cancer screenings. Moving forward, we will continue providing these imperative services, thanks to your unwavering support.

“Cervical cancer is a problem that not only affects women, but the entire family. There is a lot of emphasis on reducing maternal deaths, that is to say, pregnancy related deaths. But what happens to those women who die from cervical cancer? They also leave behind family, children left without a mother now even more vulnerable to violence, poverty, and malnutrition, among other things.” –Michelle Dubon, WINGS´ Medical Director

In many countries, the incidence of cervical cancer is kept low by regular screening. In Guatemala, where an effective countrywide screening program is lacking, cervical cancer is responsible for 60% of female cancer cases attended by the INCAP Cancer Institute in Guatemala City.

In fact, cervical cancer is the number one cause of cancer-related death among Guatemalan women. Risk factors such as multiple births with little spacing between pregnancies and becoming sexually active at a young age put women in greater danger of developing cervical abnormalities.

“The sad fact is that this cancer does not appear overnight; the natural course of this disease takes up to 20 years. That is why no woman should die of cervical cancer; there are so many methods to detect and treat it in time, which is why our efforts and resources should be focused on helping these women.” –Michelle Dubon, WINGS´ Medical Director

Where screening programs exist, cervical cancer mortality has been reduced by 90%.

Women attend WINGS clinic in 2010 for cervical cancer screenings

WINGS has been providing cervical cancer detection and treatment services since 2001. Beginning with 840 Pap smears in 2001, the program has grown fivefold and now provides up to 4,000 screening tests annually, as well as needed follow-up treatment. Over the course of 15 years, WINGS has screened over 50,000 women for cervical cancer.

In 2006, WINGS started to use an alternative method of detection and treatment called VIA/Cryo or “see and treat”. This method involves using acetic acid to visually inspect the cervix and the provision of cryotherapy treatment all in one visit (VIA/Cryo). It is a very effective, low-cost technique, which allows for immediate detection of cell abnormalities and treatment if necessary, eliminating the need for women to return for results or a follow up treatment. It also presents fewer logistical and technical constraints than the Pap smear.

For many, WINGS’ cervical cancer services are a new experience. Back in 2008, we met Hilda, a 27 year old mother of two with very little information about the risk factors associated with cervical cancer and the need for screening. She had heard that women get pap smears but didn’t know why, and believed the exam meant removing the uterus so that it could be drained of fluid, cleaned and then put back inside. After receiving accurate information, Hilda choose to be screened and was also treated with cryotherapy when we detected precancerous cells.

In 2015, Veronica, 21 years old and a mother of two, came to a WINGS clinic to get a long-term method. After listening to the information talk given by WINGS nurses, she also decided to be screened for cervical cancer. She was nervous to get screened and afterwards shared, “Before today, I didn’t know this kind of cancer existed. I had my first child at 18, so I was nervous to get tested because I learned that being sexually active at a young age is a risk factor for cervical cancer. Thankfully, my result came back negative.”

And most recently, this year87-year-old Maria had her first screening ever. A mother of 12, she encouraged her daughters and daughter-in-laws to attend as well. In her own words, Maria “wanted to be a good example.”

WINGS´ Nurses explain the screening process

As reproductive health is considered a taboo topic in Guatemala, many women are uncomfortable learning and talking about cervical cancer. During an informational talk given by our nurses in Quiché, a province in northern Guatemala, women immediately lowered their heads and stared at the ground when the nurses showed photos of a cervix with cancer and a cervix without cancer; this made them very uncomfortable. One brave woman explained that most women were not interested in getting a screening because they had heard it involved their cervix being taken out, and they were very afraid of the pain. Our nurses thoroughly explained the actual process of a cervical cancer screening and why it is so important and in the end many of the women agreed to get screened.

On the other hand, women shared with WINGS nurses during a clinic last week in Santo Tomás Milpas Altas, that they understood the importance of being screened and had in fact gone to their local health center to get screened, but three months later they are still waiting for results. Every time the women call, the health center staff say that “the results aren’t ready yet”. Sadly they are used to this; the health center is continuously behind in their work, and in the end never provide the women with the help they need. During the same clinic, a few women mentioned that when they went to get a screening in the health center near their village, they were given a toothbrush and some form of liquid, and were told to insert the toothbrush themselves. That was the extent of information and instructions they were given. Thankfully WINGS was able to provide these women with accurate information about the screening process and immediate results after using VIA/Cryo.

How can you help? Support WINGS, and your donation will allow us to reach even more women in these remote communities with cervical cancer information, screenings, and immediate cryotherapy treatment.

Your donation of $100 provides 12 women in Guatemala with a cervical cancer screening, saving lives! YOU can help us reach over 3,500 women just this year with vital cervical cancer screenings.

And with this update, we would like to share a different but important picture of what motherhood looks like in Guatemala with the story of this young man we had the pleasure to meet during a 3-day workshop for 150 WINGS Youth Leaders last month in Cobán, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala.

While participants of the workshop discussed gender roles and social norms, 19-year-old Anilson caught our attention: his duties at home are those traditionally assigned to women in Guatemala – cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the children. He explained that his mother passed away 6 months ago, leaving Anilson to help his father and take care of his younger siblings. We had a chance to talk to Anilson after the workshop and he shared his story with us. more